My Fav Holiday Bakes

A reader wrote me yesterday asking for Christmas bakes at The Perfect Loaf, and I just had to put this list together—there's quite a lot, and if you're like me, you'll probably be looking for things to bake every single day (that's how I holiday, at least!).

Christmas morning means sweet rolls at our house; it's a tradition.

This year, though, I'm swapping cinnamon for cardamom. The same rolled concept with a different spice, enough novelty to keep things interesting, and equally perfect for slow mornings in PJs around the tree.

I'm also planning a whole week of baking: cookies (including the new cinnamon toast cookies, yet again!), brownies, muffins, babka—the usual suspects.

BTW, still hunting for baker gifts? My Baker's Gift Guide has solid options for procrastinators that'll still get there in time (no judgment).

Read on for inspiration!

In this week's newsletter:

• Recipes: Cardamom rolls, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon toast cookies, sugar cookies, brownies, scones, blueberry muffins, and babka.
• Baking Help: Can I add my levain to the autolyse?

🍞 Cardamom rolls

I'm using a yudane technique here, along with cardamom throughout the dough. The result? Soft, flavorful rolls that don't need tons of butter or sugar to shine. A light cardamom syrup at the end brings everything together: tender crumb, aromatic punch, no fuss.

GET CARDAMOM RECIPE

🍞 Cinnamon Rolls

There's something about fresh cinnamon rolls on a cold morning that works. The layers of sourdough and cinnamon sugar create this perfect combination of tender dough and gooey filling in every bite.

Top them with a sugar glaze that melts into every crevice, and even the coldest morning feels a little better.

GET CINNAMON ROLL RECIPE

🍞 Cinnamon Toast Cookies

These new additions are so snackable and quite dangerous to have out in the kitchen on a plate!

A few readers have written in that these have done very well at their workplace cookie swap 🙂

GET CINNAMON COOKIE RECIPE

🍪 Sugar cookies

Perhaps the easiest cookies you'll make all year, but what they lack in terms of prep and process, they more than make up for in flavor. Classic sugar cookies, but not (in a good way)!

GET SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE

🍞 Brownies

Rich, fudgy, and yet not too sweet—but with plenty of a chocolatey punch, these will satisfy any chocolate craving. I love adding walnuts or pecans, too!

GET BROWNIE RECIPE

🍞 Scones

Hard to beat a good scone for breakfast or brunch. These discard scones take minimal effort, and you'll be reaching for seconds (and thirds) all day. They're that good.

OR! Try my recent Sourdough Pumpkin Scones for a slightly different take.

GET SCONE RECIPE

🫐 Blueberry Muffins

These quick muffins are a solid way to use discard. The natural fermentation adds complexity without losing that sweet muffin appeal. Fresh or stored discard both work.

Frozen blueberries, too.

GET MUFFIN RECIPE

🍞 Babka

Sourdough babka is the winner if you're looking to make something special. Choose cinnamon sugar or chocolate. Honestly, they're both great.

GET BABKA RECIPE

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💬 Member Discussion of the Week

If you add the levain to the autolyse, which is fine, know that fermentation begins once you add it in. For recipes that don't call for this, you may risk overproofing if you follow the rest of the recipe, since it doesn't account for the extra fermentation time.

For instance, if the recipe calls for a 30-minute autolyse and you add the levain at the start, you'll likely have to reduce bulk fermentation by 30 minutes to compensate.

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🛟 2 Ways I Can Help You Today

• If you're looking to bake bread only on the weekends, check out my weekend baking schedule to keep your starter in low-maintenance mode during the week.
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• Ever wonder what butter does to bread dough?

I hope you have a happy holiday!

P.S. My sourdough cookbook dropped in stock on Amazon yesterday, but it's back (and still 44% off 🔥)!